7th Annual Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance - Web Exclusive

Automotive events come in many shapes and sizes encompassing everything from cool local cruise nights, to massive national shows held at facilities holding thousands of vehicles. While hot rods and customs are welcome at most any event, there was always one venue where their presence was not well-known until recently. Prestigious Concours d'Elegance events showcase some of the worlds most highly regarded marques thought to be the highest form of automotive sculpture and design. At any number of these events it's common to see such revered names as Duesenberg, Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, and Ferrari, to name but a few, all presented in their highest form for acknowledgment by the judges. Hot rods and customs have finally started to receive their well-deserved recognition, via personal invitations to owners asking them to join the ranks and participate from coast to coast. Hosted at the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, Connecticut, the two day event kicked off on Saturday with the Nutmeg Tour for Autism, a 50-mile driving tour where classic car owners were welcome to participate on the winding roads with their breathtaking views through the lower Fairfield County. The rest of the day was packed with numerous seminars including one by Bob Sharp on vintage racing, a car and motorcycle club celebration, Bonhams classic auto auction preview, and a late afternoon cocktail reception benefiting The Drive to Treat Autism Fund. Sunday was show day and the lawn was artfully laid out to represent cars spanning 100 years, from the earliest to the latest and each one with a specific show card telling of the cars history and its owners. The hot rod and custom class attracted plenty of attention among all of the domestic and European classics and was a favorite with the personal guided field tours where visitors would learn about each cars specific heritage. Fun stuff like the noontime "start your engines" call was neat, as was the chance to check out plenty of art and memorabilia presented by various artists. The featured artist of the Concours was photographer Jesse Alexander, whose breathtaking images left you in awe with his documentation of road racing throughout the decades. Add in a special display of historical race cars which had competed at the 24 Hours of LeMans, an exhibition called "Styled by the Wind" showcasing many pre-war automotive styles with dramatic coachwork, a special gathering of cars designed by Howard Darrin, and the Bonhams classic car auction and you have a full day of automotive decadence. To be able to see a show field packed with everything from historical Deuces to a dramatic '38 Alfa Romeo 2900B Berlinetta, or '61 Ferrari 250TR with racing history made the journey well worth the trip. You can check it all out at www.fairfieldcountyconcours.com/